The Story of Lily and James
by BalletDancer14
Summary: Lily hated James throughout her life at Hogwarts... but still ended up with him. This is their story, but with a more highlighted spotlight. FLUFF. Please read and review! Credit for the cover goes to fluffy-fuzzy-ears on deviantart. Thanks to her for letting me use her awesome picture! LAST CHAPTER IS UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone! OK, I'm very excited, because this is my first ever fan fiction. So, if you seen any mistakes in grammar or spelling, please don't hesitate to let me know so I can go back and fix them. I also like getting reviews with constructive criticism, so please please please PLEASE review and give me your honest opinions. But no flames please. ;) Oh, and I in no way claim to own the characters from Harry Potter. All characters and ideas belong to the talented J. K. Rowling. I own only the plot.**

**Alright, that's everything I guess. So, on with the story!**

**~oOo~**

**I.**

Eleven-year-old Lily Evans walked through the Gryffindor common room to her dormitory, but stopped when she heard a loud wolf-whistle, followed by raucous, obnoxious laughter. She turned and saw James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew looking in her direction. James and Sirius were the cause of the laughter, while Peter chuckled along with them, and Remus merely sat to the side, looking slightly nervous for some reason that Lily couldn't comprehend.

Lily huffed and crossed her arms. "What do you want, Potter?" Sirius laughed again. "Uh oh, James, she used your last name. Looks like you're in trouble, mate!" They both laughed loudly.

"Oh, shut it, Black." Lily said with a roll of her eyes. James spoke through his laughter, "Sounds like you are, too!" Lily turned away from them, rolling her eyes again as they both broke into fits of laughter once more.

She stalked off to her dormitory, the sounds of their laughter ringing behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, I might finish this story today, just because I finally started posting stories about 30 min. ago, and I have a lot of time right now. If not I will definitely finish it tomorrow. Oh, and eatcheesecakelikecrazy, thank you for being my first reviewer! And also for adding my story to your favorites and alert list. :D I know, it's short, but what I'm doing for my story is I'm gonna make one chapter for each year at Hogwarts. And each one will just be one moment between James and Lily as their relationship grows. But don't worry, I'll be posting lots of James/Lily stories eventually. :D**

**OK, this chapter is dedicated to eatcheesecakelikecrazy! ;)**

**I in no way claim to own the characters from Harry Potter. All characters and ideas belong to the talented J. K. Rowling. I own only the plot. **

**On with the story! ;D**

**~oOo~**

**II.**

Twelve-year-old Lily was in the library, writing out an important essay for Professor McGonagall. She scratched away with her quill, until she had three rolls of parchment more than the Professor had asked for. She reread it twice, and was in the middle of a third time when Madame Pince came to her chair.

"Young lady, it is nearly curfew!" she shouted/whispered, brandishing a feather-duster at her. Lily glanced at the window and saw that it was indeed very late. "Sorry, Madame Pince, I was just leaving." She gathered up her things and headed for the door, Madame Pince's stare burning into her back.

She walked down the corridors, her books in her arms. When she reached a corner though, she ran into someone she hadn't seen coming around the corner also in the opposite direction. Her books fell to the floor.

Assuming the person to be a prefect, she muttered an embarrassed apology without looking at them, and stooped to pick up her books.

"Here, let me help you." said a horribly familiar voice. She looked up into the eyes of James Potter, who had an infuriating smirk plastered across his face.

"Thanks, I think I can manage." she said coldly, gathering her things as James watched, still smirking. Then she stopped.

"Wait, what are _you _doing out here? It's curfew." She glared at him, and he smiled innocently back at her.

"I could ask you the same thing." He was still grinning like an idiot.

Lily huffed. "_I _was on my way back from the library. Y_ou_ on the other hand, are leaving the dormitory. Where are you going?" She noticed he kept one hand behind his back, as if he were holding something.

He ignored her question. "Going to turn me in?" He ran his free hand through his hair, which only annoyed Lily more. Merlin, he was a jerk.

"I have half a mind to." She replied angrily. James's smile only widened at her obvious annoyance.

"You won't, though." he retorted. Lily could feel herself heating up with anger, and rather than replying, she brushed past him to the common room, as he chuckled silently behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright! I'm back, and I will most likely finish this story today. I actually wrote this chapter last night, but I didn't have time to update. I think this one's the longest so far. *grins proudly* Aren't you proud of me? ;D **

**eatcheesecakelikecrazy****- Thanks so much for your kind words. They really mean a lot! ****J**

**Disclaimer- I in no way claim to own the characters from Harry Potter. All characters and ideas belong to the talented J. K. Rowling. I own only the plot for this story.**

**That's everything! So here we go!**

**~oOo~**

**III.**

A thirteen-year-old Lily Evans marched across the grounds of Hogwarts, pulling out her wand as she did so. She was mad, she was worse than mad, she was _infuriated_. An explosion could have been going on behind her and she wouldn't even have turned. At that moment, every fiber of her being screamed only three words: _GET TO POTTER_.

It was easy to say that she'd had enough. She'd had enough of Potter, messing up his hair to look like he'd just come in from Quidditch practice. Potter, firing hexes every which way at random people just to prove he could. Potter, taunting her every time she walked by. He was an arrogant toe rag, and this time he'd gone too far. Now he would pay.

She spotted him with Sirius, Remus, and Peter, walking along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, howling with laughter. Sirius and Peter laughed along with him, while Remus had an expression of apprehension on his face. But Lily only had eyes for James.

"POTTER!" she shouted, and he turned toward her with a grin still on his face. Sirius did the same. Remus looked away, almost appearing guilty, and Peter seemed to shrink back at the furious look on her face.

James stepped forward, apparently already knowing what she had come for but still grinning all the same. "Calm down, Evans. Take a deep- OW!"

Lily had shoved both hands against his chest, pushing him backwards into Sirius. "Ugh! Don't you _dare _tell me to calm down, you- you-" she couldn't even think of a bad enough name for him. Remembering her wand, she raised it and pointed it directly at his face.

James slowly reached into his robes and did the same. "Now Evans, please don't make me have to hex you."

She let out a bark of laughter. "Ha! As if you could! You- all of you- leave Severus alone!"

"Come on, Evans, Snivellus was asking for it."

"He walked past you in the corridor!"

"Exactly!"

She felt her face heat up. "That was no reason to Stupefy him and stick him in the girl's toilet!" she shouted.

James grinned. "Well, it's not really that he walked by, it's more the fact that he _exists _to walk by in the first place, if you know what I mea-

"Ugh! James Potter, you make me sick!" Lily was ready to hex him into oblivion, but when she opened her mouth to curse him, she found she could only turn on her heel in disgust and walk away.

"Hey, Evans! Just come on one date with me to Hogsmead, one date! And I'll never go near old Snivelly again!"

But Lily only stalked away, shoving her wand angrily into her pocket.

**~oOo~**

**As always, REVIEW! Oh, and if any of you noticed, I know this scene is very similar to the scene that Harry witnesses in Snape's memories in ****The Order of the Phoenix****. **

**I just didn't want to make that whole scene into a chapter itself, but I wanted to have a fight scene like this in the story somewhere. Just clearing that up. ;)**

**Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here I am with the fourth chapter! Wow, they just get longer every time! *takes a bow* Thank you, thank you. ;)**

**eatcheesecakelikecrazy****- I know, she just secretly likes him. ****J**** And, yes, he is! Thanks! **

**Disclaimer- I in no way claim to own any characters from Harry Potter. All characters and ideas belong to the talented J. K. Rowling. I own only the plots of the chapters in this story.**

**Here it is! Allons-y! **

**~oOo~**

**IV.**

Lily Evans, fourteen years old, was spending Saturday afternoon in Hagrid's hut, paying him a visit for the first time in a week. She was seated at his wooden table, a cup of tea in her hand and Fang's head in her lap. Hagrid had been delighted to see her, and was telling her all about the centaurs, who were absolutely refusing to let Fang anywhere near their part of the forest, no matter what Hagrid said. He seemed very agitated, and Lily nodded her head sympathetically, trying to listen, trying to comfort him.

But she had never felt so confused in her life.

It was Potter. It all came down to Potter. She just didn't understand it. Their last meeting had started out like any other. Him, saying something irritating. Her standard retort and a roll of her eyes. That's how they were supposed to start. They weren't supposed to be any different. But then that one little moment had decided to come and change everything.

She'd been walking through the common room- just when she was on her way down to Hagrid's- when she heard her name.

"Hey, Evans. Where are you heading?"

She rolled her eyes. "If that was any of your business, Potter-

"Alright, alright. But I just wanted to ask you-

She cut him off. "If this is about the next Hogsmead weekend, then the answer is no."

"Come on, Evans. Just one date. Give me one chance and I swear-

She didn't know what made her do it. She had only opened her mouth to tell him to take a hike. But then, before she could say anything, she looked at his eyes, really looked, and saw deeper than she ever had before, had ever wanted to, and what she saw had confused her.

Because underneath the layers of standard big-headedness and idiocy, she saw something just peeking through in his deep brown irises. It was desperation. She'd looked in his eyes and saw a part of him that was, rather than nonchalantly asking her for the millionth time to go out with him, pleading with her as if he'd never wanted anything more in his life.

Severus's voice echoed in the back of her mind: _He fancies you! James Potter fancies you!_

She hadn't believed it to be true at the time, but now she wondered. Why _had _he asked her so many times over the past four years to go out with him without any indication that he would give up?

Then something else had happened that both surprised and confused her even more. When she'd looked into his eyes, she'd felt something. An unusual sensation that she'd never felt before, a sort of fluttering in the bottom of her stomach.

All this had happened in a matter of seconds, and deciding that she just needed time to think, she'd brushed past him without a word and continued on her way to Hagrid's. She'd felt slightly guilty about that.

Now she sat with her tea, hearing Hagrid talk about the centaurs but not really listening to what he was saying. She just didn't know what to make of it, the desperation and the fluttering in her stomach, and her confused thoughts seemed to chase themselves around and around in her head, getting her no closer to any conclusions.

"An' I tried telling' 'em, Fang's got no 'arm in 'em, but- say, Lily, you got summat on yer mind?"

Lily jumped, realizing Hagrid was speaking to her. She composed herself quickly, and stared out the window, stroking Fang behind the ear and getting a deep rumble in response.

"It's nothing, Hagrid." Her thoughts were drifting to a certain black-haired Quidditch player. "Nothing at all."

**~oOo~**

**Please REVIEW! Later peeps. :p**


	5. Chapter 5

**OK everybody, here's the fifth chapter! It's my longest one yet, (*punch and twist*) but this one's a little different. Rather than making it strictly one moment between Lily and James, I've decided to write their thoughts on each other at this point. So yes, there will be some James P.O.V. here. I hope I captured his character alright. Please review and let me know what you think!**

**March150****- Thanks so much! :D**

**Disclaimer- I in no way claim to own the characters from Harry Potter. All characters and ideas belong to the talented J. K. Rowling. I own only the plot for the chapters in this fanfiction. **

**Alright, let's do it!**

**~oOo~**

**V.**

**Lily POV**

Lily Evans, fifteen years old, was on her way to dinner with her best friend, Alice Prewett. The girls were very close, and told each other nearly everything. They always had something to talk about, and at the moment, the topic of their conversation was James Potter.

"I mean, really," Alice was saying, "could his head get any larger?" She grinned.

Lily smiled in response. "Tell me about it." She hoped she did a good job of at least looking like she agreed. She was still shocked that she even had to work to look like it in the first place.

Since the previous year, she'd begun seeing James in a whole new light. She'd noticed that, rather than the sense that he needed to annoy her at all costs, there was always a kind of protective air surrounding him whenever he was near her. She hardly sensed anything taunting around him anymore, other than what came out of his mouth. She'd also noticed a different look in his brown eyes whenever they met her startling green ones, something other than the cocky smirk that she was so accustomed to. Sometimes, she'd wonder if she hadn't imagined every unpleasant factor in his personality for as long as she'd known him. But then the memories of his pranks on Severus would drive the thought from her mind.

Just the thought of Severus would bring tears of anger and sadness to her eyes. She remembered the last words they'd spoken to each other by the lake, in front of James, in front, of everybody.

_I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!_

_Fine. I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus._

Then this memory would make her think of James again, and how he'd defended her, and she'd end up feeling more confused than ever. She never wanted to speak to Severus again, but that didn't mean she liked what James did to him on a regular basis. She didn't know what to think.

Then there were the little fluttering feelings in her stomach, that were becoming more and more frequent when she was around James. She just didn't know what to make of them, or any of her feelings at the moment. And she'd rather get hit by the Full Body-Bind Curse than tell anybody about them.

Suddenly she heard her name. "Lily? Lily!"

She jumped. Alice was waving her hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention.

Lily blinked. "Sorry. What?"

Alice giggled, and pointed. "Look!"

Lily looked around to see where she was pointing, and saw James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, already seated at the Gryffindor table, on the other side of the Hall from them. And James was looking in her direction.

At that moment, their eyes met, and there it was again. That little flutter in her stomach, just from looking at his eyes. He didn't smile, but she felt the intensity of his gaze, and it sent shivers up her spine. Though they stayed that way for only a few seconds, something seemed to pass between them, and they both knew it was there, that the moment existed.

Lily finally broke their gaze and sat down next to Alice, who hadn't seemed to notice their quiet exchange. As she tucked in to her steak-and-kidney pie, she barely heard Alice speaking as she relived those few seconds over and over again in her head. What did all these feelings mean? The flutterings in her stomach, the somehow caring atmosphere around James, the intensity of his stare that made her weak at the knees… could… could she possibly be in love with James Potter?

**~oOo~**

**James POV**

James entered the Great Hall with his fellow Marauders. Passing the Slytherin table, he caught Snivellus's eye and glared at him, receiving one in return. He felt a burning surge of hate and anger towards him, thinking of how he'd called Lily Mudblood, and the quick look of hurt that had flashed across her face. He wondered how Lily could ever have been friends with him. _He_ certainly would _never _call her that foul and disgusting name. At least Lily had finally realized that fact, despite everything she'd said to him afterwards. He remembered Sirius's assessment of the situation.

_Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate._

He supposed this was a fair assessment, but he could change that, of course he could. If it would give him a better chance with Lily… but where to start? Maybe if he… no, that wouldn't work. Or how about-

"Earth to James! You still with us, mate?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Sirius, and realized they'd reached the table, and all of them had sat down but him.

He took his seat, and Sirius gave him a concerned look. "Everything all right?"

James nodded vaguely. "Yeah… yeah everything's fine…"

Sirius still looked apprehensive, but turned his attention to the chicken legs in front of him, and was almost immediately absorbed in his dinner.

Taking some food himself, he ate distractedly, glancing up at the doorway every now and again. Then he stopped. Lily had just walked in, with her friend Alice, and she looked troubled by some deep thought.

As he watched, Alice pointed in his direction, and then Lily's beautiful green eyes met his.

It was as though everybody else in the Hall had disappeared, and it was just them, he and Lily, gazing into each other's eyes. It was _their _moment, and he knew she felt it, too.

He tried to tell her a million things at once with that one stare, but all too soon she broke away, and sat down.

He turned back to his food, trying to listen to his friends talk, but all night he was absorbed in a deep sorrow. How could he make her see? How could he make her realize? He screamed inside his head, _Listen to me Lily, listen! Please! I care about you! I'd never hurt you! I love you!_

_Lily Evans, I am in love with you._

**~oOo~**

**Well there you have it! FYI, this chapter takes place after the scene in ****The Order of the Phoenix**** that I mentioned earlier, the memory that Harry witnesses from Snape. So that did happen. Please Review! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's chapter six guys! I'm gonna try my very hardest to get chapter seven up today, but I've got a lot to do this weekend, and I just want to make sure I get the emotions right in the ending. Thank you for being patient. ****J**

**eatcheesecakelikecrazy****- Thanks so much for your reviews and for adding me to Author Alerts and Favorite Authors! And high five to you too! I love books. ****J**

**Disclaimer- I in no way claim to own any characters from Harry Potter. All characters and ideas belong to the talented J. K. Rowling. I own only the plot for the chapters in this story.**

**Read away!**

**~oOo~**

**VI.**

**Lily POV**

Lily thought that, if you had asked her on her first day at Hogwarts where she expected her life to be when she was sixteen, this would not have been her answer.

The first parts weren't surprising. She was in her sixth year, she had good grades, (acing her O.W.L.s and excelling particularly in Potions,) and she still loved everything to do with magic and Hogwarts itself. But along with all that, she was beginning to tire from all the N.E.W.T. studying, and she and her former best friend were now no longer on speaking terms. These were things she'd never anticipated. But now, she found herself in a situation that she'd definitely never anticipated, never expected. No, not once, in all her years at Hogwarts had she ever expected this. It was an event of unspeakable secrecy, so much that not even Alice knew. It was a strange, unexplored new territory, one that had popped up so suddenly that she was still in shock from it, and she had no one to turn to for help.

She was in love with James Potter.

When she looked back on it, she thought she ought to have expected it by now. The strange feelings she had when she was around him had been growing and expanding over the past few years, and she felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. It had only been a matter of time, really.

She'd tried to deny it at first. There had to be some other explanation.

But no. The incident that had followed her realization/denial had been enough to confirm her fears.

It was back in her fifth year. She'd been out taking care of her prefect duties after curfew, when she'd walked into one of her favorite secret passage ways and seen James with Anthia Vane.

And they were snogging.

She'd walked right back out of course, and luckily they hadn't spotted her. But in that brief moment, to her dismay, she'd pictured, just for a second, what it would be like if that had been _her _wrapped up in James's arms. And that was when she knew.

She was in love with James Potter.

She'd walked back to the common room in a state of shock. Then the only thing she could feel through the shock was a surge of jealousy, coursing through her veins, binding her mind in its grip. It was as though her brain and heart were having an argument. Her brain was in shock, and she felt that the sudden feelings that pierced the shock were just her heart's way of saying, _ha ha, I was right! _And sadly, she also felt that she had no choice but to agree.

She was in love with James Potter.

She didn't know what to do. The thought of him asking her out again was slightly frightening, because she wasn't entirely sure what her answer would be. Just thinking about saying no already sent a small shot of pain through her heart. But saying yes… oh, Merlin, it went against all the logic and sensibility she possessed in her brain, and she just couldn't picture herself on a date with _James_… couldn't she?

Yes, if she was honest with herself, she could. But the thought of actually going on a date with him scared her. Sure, she'd been on dates before, but if she really was honest, this was the first time it would actually mean something. What if she messed it up? What if he dumped her, and everybody laughed, and- _what would Severus say? _

Lily stopped herself right there. She scolded herself. _You don't care what he thinks anymore, remember? _

After the Mudblood incident the previous year, Lily found that they could no longer be friends. They'd tried, he'd practically begged for her forgiveness, and she'd reluctantly given it to him- only to find that she couldn't forgive him. Not really. And she couldn't bear to bring the conversation up with him, so she'd simply started avoiding him, and the two hadn't spoken since.

She wasn't sure if she missed her friend or not. She was still very angry with him. But she did know that she shouldn't care what he thought. She could date whomever she liked, and he could deal with it, whether they were friends or not.

So, when she laid it all out, Lily came to one conclusion, and one important question.

Conclusion: She, Lily, was in love with James.

Question: _What was she going to do about it?_

She didn't have any idea how to answer that.

**~oOo~**

**James POV**

Today was the day. He knew it. He could feel it. Today was the day Lily would finally say yes. He would take her on a date, and she would finally see what she really meant to him, how much he really loved her.

How did he know? He couldn't answer that himself. He just _knew_. Just woken up that morning and felt something, deep down, telling him that today, things would be different.

He hoped they would be, he hoped _he _would be. He'd tried his best to, as Sirius put it, "deflate his head a bit." He hoped Lily had seen a change in him since last year, a good change that would reverse her opinion about him.

He'd noticed a change in her as well. Not her personality, or her looks, (though in his opinion, she got steadily more beautiful every year,) but a change in her attitude around him. Lately, whenever he decided to pop the question on her, rather than giving him her usual "Get lost, Potter" attitude, it was as if she was suffering from some violent internal conflict. Of course, the words that came out of her mouth were still the same, still the usual, "I wouldn't date you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid", but there was something off about them, as if she were forcing herself to utter them. He was confident he knew what that meant, and today things would be different.

Things would be different.

It was time for lunch, and James was planning to catch her before she went into the Great Hall. He told Sirius and the others to go down without him, and they obliged, though reluctantly, with lost looks on their faces.

He waited in the common room until he saw Lily make her way out of the portrait hole. He gave her a few minutes start, then went out after her. Everything was going according to plan.

Finally, he reached the Great Hall. Lily was already at the doors… she was walking inside…

"Hey, Lily! LILY!"

She turned, and a strange series of emotions flashed across her face. He saw surprise, then shock, then something else… fear? Why would she be afraid? He brushed the thought away and ran up to her.

"Yes, James?" she asked him. Whoa. She'd given him a completely civilized answer. And not only that, she'd called him _James_. Not Potter. James. The thought made him swell with happiness, he _knew _today would be different.

"Lily, will you- will you go to Hogsmead with me?"

The moments that she took to answer were the longest of his life. _Please say yes. Say yes, say yes, say yes! _

"Um, no. Sorry, James, but I have to…"

She hurried away into the Hall.

He felt an enormous weight crash down on his chest, and the adrenaline rush that had come from running after her was long gone.

He didn't feel quite like eating anymore, but he knew the others would wonder where he was. Dejectedly, he slouched into the Hall and took a seat. Sirius and Remus wanted to ask where he'd been, but something about the look on his face kept them from voicing their questions aloud.

He didn't know what to do. He just didn't know how to make her see. He'd been so sure.

_What do you want from me, Lily? _he moaned in his head. _What else can I do? _He hadn't even looked at another girl for the past year, hadn't been able to, his mind was so full of Lily.

But he couldn't bear to think of giving up. So he analyzed the situation.

When he looked back on it, he realized there _was _something, something different this time. Lily hadn't given him a disgusted answer, or even forced herself to. She'd just given him a straight up "no" this time. And what was more, she'd seemed to make the decision in a hurry, as though, just for a second, she'd given at least one thought to it before hurrying away. The thought gave James a lift, and new hope.

He just had to keep trying. He couldn't give up on Lily. He had to save her from herself and get her to see clearly, which she obviously wasn't doing. He just had to keep trying.

He had to keep trying.

**~oOo~**

**Whew! That was a long one. I wrote the Lily POV last night at like, 1:00 A.M. because I couldn't sleep, and I just finished the James POV today. What did you think? One more chapter to go, and we'll see how it all ends! Please Review! Thanks so much!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here it is… the final (extremely long) chapter!**

**Ok, this is gonna be a long author's note. First, thank you so very much to my reviewers. Without you guys, I probably would have dropped this story a long time ago. So thank you!**

**March150****- Thanks! Yeah, that's what I was thinking too.**

**Firestar007****- Thanks so much! **

**eatcheesecakelikecrazy****- Aww, I don't want it to end either. *wipes tear* But don't worry, this is just the beginning of my fanfiction career. I'll have plenty of stories for you to review!**

**Second, put me on Author Alert, because I'll soon be working on another fanfic, and I need my reviewers! So that will be up soon. **

**Disclaimer- I in no way claim to own any of the characters… blah blah blah. Do I look like J. K. Rowling?**

**Alright, I guess that's everything! Drum roll please… Lily and James's final conclusion! Here we go!**

**VII.**

**Lily POV**

She was sitting by the lake, looking out at the spectacular sunset that stained the sky a beautiful hue of orange, streaked through with pink. Though there was a cool breeze, its glow seemed to warm her, but not nearly as much as the presence of the boy sitting next to her.

She turned to him, and her eyes did the familiar flick upward to gaze fondly at his messy black hair, which stuck up in all directions. Then he looked at her, and green eyes met brown. The look in his eyes was so loving, so caring, that it nearly brought tears of happiness to her eyes, because she could not be this lucky, could not have this amount of good fortune.

He raised a hand, and gently brushed away a strand of her dark red hair to tuck it behind her ear, keeping it there.

She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes briefly. When she opened them, he was leaning in, and she let them flutter shut again, parting her lips slightly, loving this moment, the perfection of it, and she felt his warm breath caress her as she waited…

Lily's seventeen-year-old eyes snapped open, and she looked around the dark interior of the red hangings surrounding her bed.

Falling back into her pillow with a disappointed sigh, she stayed that way for a while before finally getting up, dressing herself, and heading down to breakfast. Alice had already left.

Still feeling depressed, Lily entered the Great Hall, her eyes doing the now-familiar sweep of the place to search for him, and finding he wasn't there, she took her seat next to Alice.

Noticing her friend's obvious dejection, Alice glanced quickly around before leaning in and whispering, "The dream again?"

Lily nodded, and took some toast and bacon for herself without speaking. Alice reluctantly turned back to her own breakfast, and Lily could tell it was taking all of her self-restraint not to start firing questions at her.

She smiled as she remembered Alice's reaction when she had finally entrusted her with the truth. How she'd fallen in love with James, and was at loss for what to do about it. Alice was ecstatic of course, saying how she'd known all along that this was going to happen. When the excitement had worn off though, she'd realized how lost her friend seemed to be and had proceeded to comfort her. Alice was a good friend.

Of course, now Lily had proceeded on to a whole new dilemma. She did love James, she really did. She'd finally accepted that fact. She'd even started trying to be more civilized around him, but that was hard. She supposed old habits were always hard to break.

But her new problem was this: James had hardly spoken to her at all this year. After that day, that one day back in sixth year, when he'd asked her on a date, and she'd considered it, things had changed between them. The few times he had asked her since then, that desperation she'd noticed so long ago seemed to be getting stronger and stronger until he almost had a hopeless atmosphere around him, and it hurt her to see him in such pain, but she just didn't know. Didn't know if she was ready for this or not. She was sure this was the only factor that kept her from accepting his offer, her own misgivings. And she didn't know how to convince herself.

Because there was a part of her that wanted it. Some bit of her wanted to be the one girl in James's life, and make that beautiful dream which had been plaguing her a reality. She would lay awake in bed night after night, just thinking of him, and when she finally fell asleep, she would dream of him. Then her heart would ache, longing for it to be real. But she couldn't do anything, because James was hardly speaking to her, didn't even bother to throw the usual taunt at her, and she was afraid she had hurt him and broken things between them beyond repair.

Suddenly she felt something sliding down her cheek, and reached up to touch it. A tear. Then two. Then three.

Lily frantically scrubbed at her face to wipe them all off, but more and more kept flowing, and soon she was sobbing without anyone's notice. She feared this wouldn't last, so she abandoned her breakfast and fled out of the Hall, back to the common room.

Alice glance up in time to see Lily dashing out the doors.

"Lily?"

**~oOo~**

She sat in her dormitory, where she'd thrown herself on the floor, tears falling freely now. Lily wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to pull herself together, but she had no leverage, and fell apart all over again.

For how long she sat there sobbing, she didn't know, but after what seemed like a long while, Alice came in.

"Lily?" She rushed over to sit by her friend, and pulled her into a tight embrace. "It's alright, everything's going to be fine."

Lily shook her head. "It won't. I just want so badly for him to know how I feel, but he's hardly spoken to me for weeks! And it's all my fault, and I don't know how to make things right again!"

Her rant ended in a choked sob, and soon she was dissolving into tears once more.

Alice held her out in front of her by the shoulders, and talked in soothing, firm tones.

"Lily. Shhh. Stop. Stop."

Gradually, her sobs turned back into choked breaths, and then to silent tears.

Alice had had enough of seeing her friend look so broken over one person. "Lily. Listen to me. You are a wonderful person. You're smart, pretty, and an amazing friend. If you don't think James appreciates all that, then he's not worth crying over. If you think he really loves you, then he'll get over whatever problem he's got. Just give him time, and I promise that whatever happens, it will be for the better."

Lily looked up. "Do you really think so?"

Alice smiled. "I know so."

The two girls hugged. "Thank you, Alice." Lily said with a small smile.

Lily hoped she looked reassured, she really did. Thankful and grateful though she was to have a friend like Alice, she still didn't think that James could possibly love her enough to forgive her. The hurt she'd seen in his eyes had been to strong for that. She just didn't know what he really needed.

She would just have to wait and see.

**~oOo~**

**James POV**

He was wondering the castle, letting his feet take him where they wanted, doing nothing, getting nowhere, all the while thinking of her. The usual.

He supposed he should be with Sirius and Remus, trying to convince them that he was perfectly normal, but he'd given up on that, because it was so obvious that he was anything but normal.

The two were worried about him, he could tell. And he couldn't blame them. He went to class, to meals, to Quidditch practice, but he seemed to be empty. Hollow. Just a lifeless thing doing what it was told. At least, that's what he looked like on the outside.

Because on the inside, his mind was buzzing, his heart was racing, and adrenaline was pumping through his veins. He may have looked like he'd lost his purpose in life, but on the inside, all that kept his mind buzzing, his heart racing, the adrenaline pumping, _was _his purpose in life. Lily.

Lily Lily Lily. It was a never-ending chorus of her name that went through him all day and all night. By day he contemplated ways to prove to her that she was his life now, and by night he dreamt them. Thinking. Always thinking. That was the fuel that kept him running now, because if he stopped, if he stopped trying, then there was a very good chance that he would never reach his one and only goal: To get Lily to see. After all, this was their last year at Hogwarts, and if he couldn't find a solution by the end of the year, they would very likely go their separate ways, and that was something he couldn't handle.

So he thought. And thought. And thought. All the while he walked round and round the castle, and he thought. He thought of Lily, of the things she did, of the things she was. _Lily does her homework. Lily is beautiful. Lily is a Gryffindor. Lily has a friend named Alice-_

Wait. That was it. That was it! Alice! Suddenly, as though his mind had been ready to direct his feet whenever he came up with a solution, he was walking quickly to Gryffindor Tower.

Alice was the key to it all. Alice was Lily's best friend. If he spoke to her, possibly she could help him! The chorus of Lily was now laced through with his solution. _Lily. Lily. Alice. Lily. Lily. Alice…_

When he reached the portrait hole, he gave the password, (treacle tart,) and entered the common room. There she was. Alice was sitting by the fire, as if she had been placed there by fate to help him.

"Alice!"

She looked up, surprised. When she spotted him, her eyes narrowed, as though she were angry with him. "Yes?"

He disregarded this and sat down across from her. "I need your help."

Now she looked startled. "With what?"

Taking the plunge, James told her about his problem, about how Lily just didn't seem to know how much she meant to him, and how if he could just get her to see that, he would be happy.

"And I just… Alice, you know Lily better than everybody. What can I do?"

Throughout his whole explanation, she seemed to get more and more stunned, and less and less angry. James got the impression she was holding back giggles.

"Well, Lily has always been the type to appreciate others; she's always looked at the best qualities in people. Except when it came to you." She smiled.

He hurried ahead. "But what can I do to change that?"

Alice thought. "Just… do something nice for her. Let her see that you're not all bad, and that you can be a gentleman when it comes to her."

He contemplated that. "Something nice… but what?"

She smiled again. "I'll let you figure that out on your own."

He jumped up, eager to get thinking. "Thanks Alice- wait, you really don't think I'm all bad?

Alice grinned. "Of course not, James."

He gave her a smile in return. "Thanks."

James jumped up and dashed back out of the common room.

**~oOo~**

"Something nice… something nice…"

James had been repeating these words to himself the past few days, trying to think of something. According to Alice, he could convince Lily that he loved her if he did something _nice _for her… but what?

He was on his way back from the library, where he'd reluctantly put his thoughts of Lily to the side in order to finish an essay for Professor Flitwick. Not his idea of a productive evening.

So now he doubled his efforts, trying to make up for the lost time.

"Something nice… something nice…"

He still had a long way to go to Gryffindor Tower, so he decided to take one of his favorite secret passageways that was a very direct shortcut.

But when he reached the entrance, James heard a strange sound… sniffling? He listened to the sound from behind the tapestry covering the entrance. From what he could tell, it was a girl, and she was crying. He was going to walk the long way instead, but something told him to see what was wrong. He pulled back the tapestry and froze.

It was Lily.

She looked up at him, gasped, and frantically began wiping at her face.

James was confused, and startled to find her there. "Lily? What's wrong?"

Still wiping at her face she replied, "Nothing. N-nothing's wrong."

He stepped forward. "Lily, there's obviously something wrong. Tell me what it is."

She still looked hesitant, and for some reason, guilty.

James placed a hand on her arm. "Here, let's sit down."

They both sat on the ground, their backs against the wall. He turned to her, baffled. What could possibly have upset her so much that she'd been driven to sobbing in the corridors?

"Alright," he said, "now tell me what's the matter."

Lily looked as though she were contemplating something. Then she spoke.

"Well," she said "you see, there- there's this guy."

He was listening intently. "Yes?"

She continued. "And I- I really- I really _really _like him."

James suddenly felt as though a light inside him had gone out, leaving him cold and empty. The only thing he could feel was a faint numbness creeping through him.

So everything had been for nothing. The endless wanderings around the castle, contemplating ways to make her see how he really felt were all for nothing. Because even if he could make her see, it wouldn't matter in the slightest, because she'd already fallen for someone else. He was too late.

But if this guy made her happy… well, he should do what he could to help her, right? He'd rather not have her and leave her happy then have her and keep her this miserable.

"And?" he gestured for her to continue.

Before she spoke, however, he saw something change in her eyes. The dead, hollow look they'd had seemed to have been replaced. With what, he didn't know, but whatever it was, it had shocked her. He waited for her to continue.

She seemed to pull herself back together. "Well, h-he's asked me out a few times, but I said no because I wasn't sure if I was ready for a- a real relationship."

He'd already been deprived of whatever life there was left in him by her last few words, but he tried to listen and comfort her, because it only hurt him more to see her in this much pain.

"So… so what's the problem?" He was confused.

She went on, still with that unexplained look of shock on her face. "He's h- hardly spoken to me in a while, and I'm afraid that, because I- I've said n- no so many times that he's given up on me, which I don't want, because I've finally realized that I _do _want him, and I want to say yes, but he just hasn't spoken to me and I think I've ruined things between us for good."

She watched him when she finished, waiting. Though it took every ounce of strength he had to utter these few words, because James knew he was giving her away to someone else, he only wanted her to be happy, and he managed it.

"Of course not Lily. Whoever he is, he _must _know what he's missing out on, I mean, he's probably just trying to figure out how to-

He stopped there, because he could no longer speak. He didn't realize what was happening for a few moments, but responded quickly enough.

Lily had done something that had shocked him beyond belief.

**~oOo~**

**Lily POV**

Lily had only been in the library to check out another book, but when he walked in, her original purpose there disappeared. She stood behind her shelf, watching him through the books, and just the sight of him sitting there, with his quill and parchment as though without a thought in the world, had been enough to push her over the edge once more. She'd fled to her secret passage and sobbed, feeling completely hopeless, and she didn't realize how long she'd been there until he came in.

He'd asked her what was wrong, and sat her down next to him. She'd been terrified at first of telling him what her real problem was, but then came up with an idea.

"Well, you see, there- there's this guy."

He looked her right in the eye. "Yes?"

"And I- I really- I really _really _like him."

The look on his face was what did it. It was what made her realize that she'd been wrong, she'd been _so _wrong. This whole time, she'd been wrong about James not loving her enough to forgive her, because this whole time, James had loved her enough to forgive her a thousand times, as long as she saw that. She couldn't believe it.

The very idea of it made her feel tingly with happiness, but she could hardly feel that through the surprise and the shock. And he looked as though he were dreading an answer when he said, "And?"

So she said, "Well, h-he's asked me out a few times, but I said no because I wasn't sure if I was ready for a- a real relationship."

And when he responded with, "So… so what's the problem?" It only added to the shock, because she realized he was willing to help her with her "problem", willing to help her get another guy, even if it caused him pain. She also realized that the look of hopelessness in his eyes whenever she'd denied him had been because he'd only been trying to make her _see _that, really see for herself that he'd be willing to do anything for her, no matter the personal cost, and she swelled with disbelief at the thought.

So she explained about how she'd feared that she'd ruined things between her and this "guy", saying that she didn't know how to make things right again.

James replied, "Of course not Lily. Whoever he is, he _must _know what he's missing out on, I mean, he's probably just trying to figure out how to-

Lily stopped him right there. But she felt so cared for, so loved, so happy, that at the moment she just couldn't express her feelings to him with words. She stopped him by leaning in and pressing her lips against his.

She couldn't describe it later. It was perfect, more perfect then any dream she'd had of him, any hope or wish, and when he kissed her back and she wrapped her arms around his neck she was reminded of a wish she'd had back in fifth year, when she'd realized she'd fallen in love with him, when she'd walked in on him and Anthia Vane here, in this same spot, and wished that it had been _her _in his arms. Now, two years later her wish had been granted, and she couldn't have asked for more.

They both pulled away at the same moment, but stayed in each other's arms.

He looked stunned. "Lily, I- what- why-

She cut him off. "Don't you get it? I was talking about _you_."

He looked confused at first, then understanding flashed across his features, then blissful happiness. But he still had question in his eyes.

"Lily, did you really think that I would just give up on you?"

She looked down, embarrassed. "It just… didn't seem logical."

He gently lifted her head and made her look at him.

"Lily. Listen. I love you more than anything else in this whole world. You are my life. Do you understand that?"

Lily realized that she finally did. She did realize that he would be willing to do anything for her.

"Yes." she breathed.

James looked her directly in the eye. "Lily, will you- will you go to Hogsmead with me next weekend?"

For the first time, Lily smiled after hearing this. "Yes, James. I would love to."

If she'd thought that he couldn't look happier before, she was wrong. His face lit up with elation, and he leaned in again and kissed her once more.

She loved every second of it. She wasn't sure where this would lead, but she was ready to find out. With him at her side.

Lily never thought she'd say it, but at that moment, and for the rest of her life, she wouldn't rather have fallen in love with anyone else, but James Potter.

**~oOo~**

**There you have it folks! My first ever fan fiction. Please review! Thank you again so much to everyone who read and reviewed, and stay tuned for another story very soon!**

**Thanks,**

**BalletDancer14**


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